Each spring we scour the earth to find a handful of unique items that are what we call “golf bag essentials”. While each one may not literally go into a a golf bag, they are all products we think every golfer should check out. We have gadgets, tools and even food – all of which have be personally used by us and get our Three Guys Golf sign of approval. Check it out!

Seamus Divot Repair and Ball Marker

What golf bag essentials post would be complete without a divot repair and ball marker suggestion. Most divot repair tools are either too wimpy or too gimmicky. The Seamus divot repair tool is neither. It is big and honking and hand-freaking-made. Not just handmade but hand forged. Yea, banged out by a big burly guy with a hammer and sweat dripping from his brow…well I made that last part up but I think I have seen a few too many episodes of Game of Thrones recently. You get the point – they are legit and 100% unique.

You can find both of these items on the Seamus website. Oh, and they also sell awesome headcovers!

The Hat Sponge

How many of your favorite hats have you had to throw away due to nasty sweat stains? I know for me, living in the south, hats have a short life span in the dead of summer. Leave it to an Englishman to come up with a clever invention called the Hat Sponge which sits inside the brim of your hat. Not only will it wick away and absorb most of the sweat but it will also eliminate any scratchy feeling for those of us who are a little thin on our forehead. Plus, it won’t change the shape of your hat at all. No one, even you, will realize you are wearing it (kind of like the man bra). My tip: save your hat, get the Hat Sponge.

The Hat Sponge runs $13.00 which is will pay for itself pretty darn fast. Get them on the Hat Sponge website.

Mettle Golf Gloves

You gotta have a golf glove but that does not mean you have to settle for a boring white one. Mettle Golf is a new company that offers sylish golf gloves. Made for Cabretta leather and a lycra top, the Mettle gloves are definitely not run of the mill. I have been all in with unique golf gloves for a few years now but I have not seen any that have these types of patterns. Because the top is lycra they are able to create intricate designs that are not possible with a full leather glove. NOTE: these gloves are supposed to fit tight but I would recommend ordering a full size up as they also run a bit small.

Don’t settle, get some Mettle. The Mettle Golf gloves are $20 – $24 and can be purchased on the Mettle website.

3 Up Golf Balls

The one thing that is in every golf bag is of course golf balls. 3 Up golf balls are a premium golf ball that perform extremely well. While I will not claim they are the best ball on the planet, they are pretty darn good, especially if you like a lot of feel around the green. Plus 3 Up Golf does something really unique…they give back. Yep, they have actually built the cost of charity into the price of the ball. That way every ball that you purchase will send $3.00 to charity. To date, 3 Up has donated thousands of dollars to groups like “Golfers Against Cancer”. Another cool thing about 3 Up is that when you buy a dozen balls they come in a pouch that includes a few branded goodies like tees and ball markers. Get the point? . . . these guys want to show you the love. Check them out, buy a dozen and if you don’t like them you can rest easy that you still made a charitable donation…but my bet is you will dig the balls too.

You can order sleeves or dozens of the 3 Up Golf Balls on the 3 Up website.

GolferAid

Now normally my ‘golfer aide’ is a few cold beers, but every now and then we all need some real hydration. Where GolferAid is different than most sports drinks is that is is loaded with supplements that are directly related to the game of golf. So not only do you get the electrolytes that help replenish, but you also get supplements that help with everything from vision to mental focus. What it does not have is a ton of sugar, which is basically the primary ingredient in most sports drinks, and it has zero caffeine. Plus they give 5% of the profits to golf-centric charities. In other words, while most energy drinks are casting a big targeting net, Golferaid is made specifically for golfers who have special requirements.

You can find GolferAid in many pro shops or you can order directly from the Golferaid website.

Snap Hookz

Are you one of those guys who likes to carry three towels, a club brush and still have a place for 5 gloves to hang? Problem is, most golf bags only have one hook or loop. Good news, hoarders… Snap Hookz is here to rescue you. Snap Hookz is a super easy and cheap way to add additional loops and connectors to virtually any bag. Just use the snaps from your rain hood to attach Snap Hookz. You can put it on either side or front of your golf bag depending on your preference. You then can hang, clip or loop all the essential gear. Oh Snap(!), this gizmo is pretty darn useful and the guys who I have given the Snap Hookz to absolutely love it.

Swiftwick Socks

Socks? Yeah socks, and they are not all created equal. I am a huge fan of Kentwool socks and they have pretty much been a staple on my foot for the past three years, but since getting Swiftwick I am now a two brand guy. What gives? Well, for starters, Swiftwick offers compression socks which really provide some extra comfort. Additionally, they offer a ton of styles from super thin to a thicker wool so you can have a pair for any occasion. And, for guys like me who have too many pairs of shoes, I sometimes need a thick or thin sock depending on the particular shoe (or even the season as feet swell in the heat). As for durability, I have been wearing the Swiftwick regularly for the past 3 months and they show no signs of breaking down.

Kingmade Jerky

No golf bag is complete unless it stocked full of tasty jerky. Being a bit of a jerky snob, I can tell you this stuff is legit. Plus, it was created by Tour Caddie, Jeff King. After years of tinkering in his kitchen, Jeff grew weary of having to fix up batches for guys on the PGA so he has graciously made it available for everyone (even non-golfers). Kingmade Jerky comes in three flavors, Buffalo, Sweet Chili and Classic (which I am eating as I type). Seriously, don’t be a dope, get some Jerky!

BONUS: Pig Whistle Barbecue Sauce

Ok, you can’t put this in your golf bag but take it from me this is some of the best sauce ever. You know how every time you take a $5.00 shot and try some cool looking new BBQ sauce at the store, only to find out that it tastes exactly like the dumb Kraft sauce that costs $1.00/gallon? This is not that sauce.

Yes, he is a buddy of mine (introduced by fellow blogger Matt). Not only has Wyatt won numerous awards for his barbecue sauce but he cooks one hell of a pig. Seriously, the dude is a bit crazy with how much time he spends preparing the pig. True story: My wife made a chicken dinner that looked kinda lame, but being the good husband I did not say anything. I was stunned when in fact the boring chix tasted amazing! When I asked her what was on the chicken she said “I just put some of Wyatt’s sauce on it”. Damn, and that was chicken.

It’s kind of cool when frustration actually results in innovation rather than just anther mangled 7 iron. As the story goes, the inspiration for Blunt Golf Umbrellas came to New Zealander Greig Brebner after he nearly lost an eye walking down the busy streets of London, where during a windy rain storm umbrellas were folding quicker than Superman in a laundromat. After this close encounter with the emergency room, Greig went back home to the drawing board, the design bench, and the wind tunnel. After much tinkering, the Blunt Umbrella was complete and able to with stand 73 mph winds.

Adam had seen Blunt at the PGA Merchandise show but it was not until this spring that we actually got the chance to test the golf version of these amazing umbrellas, the G1 and larger G2. The technology that makes them work is very cool and is thoroughly explained on their website. Basically, the quick opening system pushes the tension out along the umbrella’s floating ribs out to its aerodynamic blunt tips in something they call RTS or radial tensioning system. The bracing on the underside of the umbrella is unique and much stronger than regular umbrellas but without any extra weight. The result is that it takes about one gust of wind holding a Blunt umbrella to realize what makes it so unique.

In practice, we did not get to test the umbrellas in 70 mph winds but we did use them in 25 mph gusts that were giving my conventional umbrella fits. Frankly, the only thing we were concerned with was Adam dislocating a shoulder while holding onto the umbrella. You see the umbrella wasn’t flapping or budging or showing any problem standing up to the wind so it takes a bit of strength to stay grounded.

The Blunt umbrella is made from a polyester skin that is very durable and completely waterproof. Additionally, there is hardly any effort to put these lightweight beauties up and down; you simply grab the very comfortable, ergonomic handle and push the rubber piece until it clicks. You then pull on the same piece and the umbrella comes down with no buttons to push or to get stuck (like they do on my current umbrella). The shaft at the center is made from a durable and lightweight fiberglass which is strong enough to be driven over. Yes, Adam left his umbrella in the garage and his wife drove over it. No worries, it is a good as new (no, joke, this is a true story).

Adam and I are both 6 ‘ 2″ and use push golf carts that have an umbrella holder. The Blunt umbrellas easily fit into the carts and did a nice job of covering us and the openings of our bags. Adam tried the large G2, and I tried the slightly smaller G1. While both umbrellas are tall and wide enough, we would love to see even a larger model with a taller handle. I would expect that the only problem would be figuring out how to secure the umbrella to the cart such that it all does not fly away. Seriously, these umbrellas will not fold up so a strong wind will grab the Blunt and just go.

These umbrellas run at $100 and $120, so they’re not cheap, but a huge part of their philosophy is that these last much longer and keep a bunch of cheap umbrellas out of the landfill which is where most of ours end up. I know I’ve tried to fix several of my golf umbrellas with super glue, or by trying to re-bend a messed up rib and I’ll go ahead and say that I’m really glad to have an umbrella that just stays open.

Blunt umbrellas come in a variety of accent colors, with the base being a simple black, and they also have a light cover that you can store them in, or carry with the light shoulder strap. Blunt umbrellas… they really do reinvent the wheel.

It’s that time of year again. Another Masters is in the record books which means it is time to clean out the bag, polish the clubs and get ready for the new season. This year we have a fresh batch of goodies perfect for making your rounds more enjoyable and assuring that you will not come to play ill-prepared. Below is a list of must haves to put in your golf bag.

PlayKleen Golf Towel:

Lets start with a fresh golf towel. This years pick is PlayKleen golf towels. These towels are super absorbent and feature what is called FlexTEK technology. I have no idea what that means, but I do know that they work great. The one thing I really noticed about the PlayKleen towel is they feel much lighter than others. With that said, they will absorb a ton of water so you can wet one side without it dripping all over your bag. That way you can properly clean your clubs after taking a nasty divot. See the PlayKleen website.

Photoball Marker:

If you are still using a penny or the marker on your golf glove, it is time to step up your game. A ball marker is a great way to show a little personality and have some fun. We recently discovered Photo Ball Markers . . . the process is stupid simple. Just upload a photograph or logo and, boom!, you have your very own custom ball marker. We went for a logo, but feel free to add a picture of your sweetheart if you are of the romantic nature. Visit the Photo Ball Marker website.

Applachian Leather Works yardage / scorecard book

What is one thing that every pro on tour has but barely any other golfer has (besides a super model girlfriend)? That’s right, a badass yardage book. I have long been on a hunt for a cool yardage book but the only ones in the stores are super cheesy. Recently, I found these guys who make yardage books by hand with a variety of leathers and colored stitching. With tons of options, you can create your one of a kind yardage book that will be sure to garner lots of oohs and ahhs. No yardage book, no problem, just pop in a scorecard. Visit the Appalachian Leather website.

Real Steak Jerky:

Speaking of prepared, who amongst us has not got the case of the munchies while on the third hole? Fear not, put some Real Steak Jerky in your bag and never be left wanting. Honestly, this is the best jerky I have ever had. These guys sent us a bunch and it may have been the only time the three bloggers came to blows over who would get to keep the most. The stuff rules . . . P.S., they make Turkey Jerky too! See the Real Steak Jerky website

NUUN

Now that spring is in full swing, we all know you need to stay hydrated (especially during the heat of the summer). I am one of those folks who enjoys a little flavor with my water but most of the sports drinks have tons of sugar. NUUN makes these really cool tablets you can drop into a jug of water that have all kinds of electrolytes and such. Basically all the good stuff without the sugar. Plus, you can just throw a box of them in your bag so you are always prepared. See the NUUN Website

Tritan Series of Tumblers

Ahh, the tumbler. That little wonder cup that keep cold drinks cold! Forget about refilling that plastic bottle, these little guys are much better and as we all know “everything is better with a logo”. Whether you bring your “cup of joe to the course” or a “little nip”, the Tritan Series of Tumbler is perfect for your beverage of choice. Plus they will fit perfectly in the golf cart cup holder. You can see all of the option for Tritan Series of Tumblers on their website. NOTE: These are for retail sale only with 24 piece minimum. For order info contact Lfbiddinger@williamsindustries.com

Champ Spikes and Fly Tees

I always carry extra cleats in my bag just in case one pops out or I realize they have been whittled down to nubs. For me, Champs are far and away the best cleat around. They are made to fit just about any shoe and are quite durable. As for the tees, I used to go through boatloads of wooden tees believing that plastic tees were for old men. So either I was wrong or I am in fact an old man because I now swear by them. I now only use one or two per round. Be warned though, not all plastic tees are made the same. The two reasons I prefer the Champ Fly Tees are 1) they last and 2) it is easy to put your ball on them (something not all plastic tees have in common). Champ spikes and tees can be found on their website.

Bonus: Ecco white belt

No, it has nothing to do with your golf bag, but everyone should have a cool white belt. I don’t care how many people say you have to be under 30 to wear one, I think they makes nearly every outfit look just a little sharper. The new Ecco belt is understated but classy. Pick one up and be a player. Ecco belts can be seen on their website.

Score Band Review: When I first starting playing golf, my instructor advised me to not to keep score. The score, he said, was not important. Learn the game, learn to love it and keeping score will come later.

When I finally decided it was time to actually use the card given to me by the course for something other than taking down phone numbers, I also realized scoring is not as simple as it seems. Unlike my husband who seems to have a photographic memory of every shot he takes, my round becomes a blur after only a few holes, which makes retracking my score more or less a guessing game.

So when it was time to volunteer to review the Score Band, I was all in, which I’m sure this was a relief to the “Three Guys” who undoubtably cringed at the mere thought of showing up at their local course wearing an electronic scorer only a rookie would wear. Well, the joke is on them. Score Band is an electronic score keeper that you wear like a watch. As a matter of fact, it is a watch. The Score Band is very small, lightweight, water resistant and comes in a black or white with a variety of different colors for the buttons as an accent.

The Score Band has four functions – golf, tennis, allscore and watch. There is one small, silver button on the side that allows you to change the Score Band from one function to another. Then, there are simply two buttons on the face of the device allowing you to score within each function. For golf, you’ll still need to keep up with your written score card if you like to look back on your round to refer to your score on individual holes, but at the end of each round, the Score Band has tallied your holes for you. You’re only required to click for each stroke and click at the end of each hole to tally and start fresh for your next hole.

Let me assure you that this device is not just because you have too many strokes to remember. I found that when I started using a device to keep up with each stroke, I didn’t have as many strokes as I thought. I mean, when I finished a hole with what I thought was a five, I would try to recount my strokes like my husband, again and again, because there was no way I had done that well and actually bogied a hole, or did I? Well, with a counter like the Score Band, I found my score to be lower due to the fact when I actually did do well on a hole, I wouldn’t believe it. Surely I had forgotten to count a stroke somewhere so I would give myself a stroke because I thought I was being more honest. That’s right, when I started using a counter, I realized I hadn’t forgotten any strokes, I really was getting better!

Score Band for Tennis

I am also an avid tennis player, and I started wearing the Score Band for tennis. I play doubles in two different leagues in Atlanta. While the leagues are for “friendly competition,” I have found that when it comes to ladies’ tennis, friendly is sometimes the last thing in the competitive mind. The server always calls the score before each serve, but in a city, it is not always heard by everyone on the court, and there is a dispute about the score every now and again. If you have a long point and have switched sides of the court with your partner during the course of play, all four players sometimes lose track of the score. You usually come together and recall the points you have played and come to an agreement about the score. I am notorious for not keeping track of the score if I am not serving. Problem solved with my Score Band. After every point, I click my Score Band and it keeps my game score and the match score for me. I will say that while I found it very easy to keep the score when I was not serving, it was slightly more difficult to remember to do when I was serving. I am quite sure that with practice I could overcome this difficulty. At the end of the set, you will net to reset to begin your next set and switch to the allsport mode if you need to score a tie breaker.

Score Band for Ping Post and other Sports

My kids use the Score Bands for ping pong in the allscore mode. They can keep up with their score and that of their opponent. This can definitely cut down the arguing in any household. At my son’s basketball game, I can use my Score Band to keep track of how many free throws his team attempts and how many they actually make just to discuss with him after the game. You can use the allscore function for virtually anything you need to score. While I can recommend a Score Band for any golfer, it certainly has many uses other than golf. You can find out more and order for yourself at www.scoreband.net.

Ok, your bag has been stored in the garage for 4 months now but the flowers are starting to bloom, the Masters is just around the corner, and you are ready to play some golf. Don’t be the guy who gets to the course and realizes he doesn’t have balls, tees, a glove, or any other of the essentials. C’mon man, get it together! If you want to be a respectable golfer, friend, and member of society, for the love of all things holy, please get your bag in order before the season starts.

First, let’s pull out the sweater, winter gloves, 20 pencils, and assorted change. Now to reload it with the golf bag essentials.

Golf Towel: If your golf towel looks anything like Matt’s you need to immediately throw it in a hazardous waste dump because that’s exactly what it looks like someone cleaned up. Look, I know you got it at your company golf outing, but heck, let’s upgrade this year. I recently found out about Club Glove towels, you know the guys who make nearly indestructible travel luggage. Well, they also make a darn sweet towel. It can take up to 300% of its weight in water and it is so freaking huge so you can wet half and keep half dry. While it is tough enough to clean off dirt, it is also made from microfibers which are soft enough to clean sunglasses. I have been toting one of these guys around for a month and I will never go back to a regular version.

Spikes: If you are hoping to get another season from your golf shoes, at least spend a few bucks and put new spikes on them- trust me, it will make a huge difference. For me, I have always been a fan of Champ cleats. They come in a couple of varieties including metal tipped (sorry you have a PGA card to even buy these). Still, the regular ones are rock solid and a great way to extend the life of your golf shoes. Below are the 6 point version but I am preferential to the 3 pronged. HINT: keep the extras in your bag, not your garage.

Tees: Matt recently admitted to me that he just bought tees for the first time in his life – how is that possible?. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t live like P-Diddy, but I prefer to buy a jumbo bag each month and be done with it. I figure my time is better spent searching for a swing rather than unbroken tees. I usually use the wood tees, but I have enjoyed the new Champ FLY tees which, for you tree huggers out there, are made from biodegradable plastic. So for those of you looking to extend your tee budget check these guys out.

Sunscreen: For us pasty white guys, its 2012 and we all need to be aware that 4 hours in the sun is not a good thing for unprotected skin. Oh, and last year’s bottle is now about as effective as brush tees, so go ahead and plop down $10 for a new supply.

Is it worked in?

Bug spray: Better safe than sorry – and you can be a hero when the mosquitoes get nasty. Probably will pay for itself with the beers your buddies buy for you as a token of their appreciation.

Band-Aids: Blisters can kill a round, and guerrilla bottle-opening techniques can draw blood. Put a box in your bag.

Mark your ball in style

Sharpie: If you have not come up with a cool marking system, Tin Cup makes a pretty cleverl gadget to customize your ball.

Allergy Medicine/muscle pain: Getting hit with a case of the sneezes or sudden muscle tightness can put a real damper on a round.

Gloves: Guess what? You are going to go through a number of these over the spring and summer. Just get like 4 and keep an extra in your bag cause they are twice the price in the pro shop. We love Asher Golf Gloves!

Koozie: If you are the type of golfer who likes to have a few during a round, then this is a must. Keeping your beer cold for more that 10 minutes is nearly impossible in the heat of the summer, but with a little help from a $.99 koozie you can nurse your libation for far longer.

Make your statement

Rust Remover: Ah, the final touch to any bag. This item is not sold anywhere and can only be found on the driving range or the course.

Well, that’s it, you have all of the golf bag essentials and are ready to go!

Trion Z Review: For the past two weeks I have been giving the Trion Z Active bracelet a test run. The bracelet applies the principles of negative ionic-magnetic technology to golfers, athletes, and even couch potatoes if they are so inclined, with the idea being that performance and overall health will benefit as a result. At the very least, if Rory McIlroy can wear Trion Z and be #1 in the world, what can it hurt?

I know what you’re thinking . . . another one of those doo-hickeys that promises to magically cure what ails you. Well sirs and madams, I am not here to defend/promote nor trash/thrash, I just wanted to try this sucker out and see what gives. But before we do anything, let’s check out how Trion Z explains the concept behind its products (taken from their website, selectively):

Magnetic fields exist in all areas of life. The earth is, in essence, one large magnet surrounded by a large magnetic field. The earth’s magnetic field protects us from radiation and is essential to healthy cell regeneration.

Modern technology and lifestyles shield us from the earth’s natural magnetic fields. Negative Ions are generally abundant in nature through plants, waterfalls, rain storms and forests. These ions, unfortunately, are depleted in urban areas and as a result of modern technology.

The human body absorbs positive ions from electronic equipment, cell phones, electrical wiring, and machinery encountered in everyday modern life. Physical stress and exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) Rays also elevates the positive ion levels within the body.

Okay, got it? Basically the modern human is deprived of negative ions, and the Trion:Z bracelets and necklaces use magnets to replenish these negative ions. Fair enough, makes sense to me.

The extent of my magnet knowledge, until now.

Trion Z was kind enough to send the Three Guys some samples, and I have been wearing mine for about two weeks now. Again, I figure if Rory McIlroy rocks one, then so should I, seeing that we have so much in common in life. I first threw the bracelet on one Sunday morning after a somewhat beasty Saturday night (Rory couldn’t make it), hoping the negative ions would speed up my recovery process. Perhaps I was in a particularly vulnerable state, but amidst the jokes to my wife about my newfound invincibility and awesomeness, I really did decide that I felt better. For that first day I became convinced that the negative ions were giving me a boost. Of course I was aware that a placebo effect could very well have kicked in, but kind of like buying new clubs – if you THINK there’s a difference, then heck, roll with it.

One thing I DO believe is that the body is somehow being assaulted on a daily basis by the ridiculous amount of electro-radio-cellphonio stuff surrounding us all day, so I’m all ears if someone wants to try to counteract that mess. And as the table below clearly illustrates, the negative ionic-magnetic concept falls well within the acceptable zone of the scientifically-ignored Belief Spectrum.

Enough of the hardcore science – the bracelet looks good, and is comfortable to wear. You’re supposed to have one specific side of the magnet touching your skin – so far, any time the bracelet twists or rolls on my wrist, it somehow lands right side up, so no worries there. I’m not really a bracelet guy by definition, but the Trion:Z hasn’t bothered me a bit and I think I’ve even gotten a little bonus credit from people thinking I am starting a new philanthropic effort with my orange wristband. So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice . . .

I should point out that the Trion Z website makes no bold claims about the positive effects of this negative ion technology on the human body. In fact, the company makes no statements at all. They simply explain the concept that you read above and leave it for us to fill in the blanks. My hunch is that this stems primarily from a legal standpoint, which is to say, there is likely no proven evidence that these bracelets do any good. And so ultimately, it comes down to what you want to believe. Or, you might just load up on every possible advantage and hope one works . . . in this case, the Trion:Z flies through the wheelhouse at an affordable $20.00 or so, so you could do worse.

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Oh the Putters!

Three Guys Golf is a golf blog that seeks to provide a unique perspective for fellow golfers. In addition to golf an lifestyle product reviews, we write long form prose on a variety of topics and feature many golf instructional posts and videos. Three Guys Golf Blog was founded by Adam, Matt and Wade but also has regular contributing writers as well.